3 Sixers Takeaways: Celtics Season Series, Early Injury Bug
The controversy seemingly swirls around the Philadelphia 76ers relentlessly. Joel Embiid will inevitably control the headlines with any and all health concerns. However, the Sixers have kept their heads down…
The controversy seemingly swirls around the Philadelphia 76ers relentlessly. Joel Embiid will inevitably control the headlines with any and all health concerns. However, the Sixers have kept their heads down with a 7-4 start and a 2-1 lead in the frontloaded season series against the Boston Celtics.
3 Sixers-Celtics Matchups in 11 Games
NBA rivalries might not measure up to what they used to be, but three matchups in three weeks between historic rivals in the same division will spark some fire. Fans saw the venom earlier in the season than expected with the three Sixers-Celtics games separated by a margin of just four points combined.
The Sixers tipped off the season with an exhilarating comeback victory over the Celtics at TD Garden on October 22. VJ Edgecombe stole the show by breaking the franchise’s rookie debut record with 34 points.
The Celtics responded with a win on Halloween night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They survived lead swings from the roller coaster Sixers and a tense final possession to even the season series.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesJustin Edwards stole the lead back for his hometown on Tuesday with a dynamic performance off the bench. The Imhotep Charter alum had seen limited minutes through the first 10 games of the season. He hit the ground running, draining his first eight shots in a stunning 22-point effort.
His only misfire of the night came on Philadelphia’s final possession. The attempted three-ball didn’t ice the win, but Kelly Oubre Jr. bailed Edwards out with a game-winning putback with only eight seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Sixers have taken two of the first three against the Celtics. The two teams finish the season series on March 1 at TD Garden.
The entertainment didn’t end when the clock hit zero. The Philadelphia media later asked Edwards about an expletive he yelled in the heat of the celebration. Edwards’ mom bombed his postgame press conference, warning that her son might get a beating if he repeated his words.
Edwards hilariously censored the story, saying he told his teammates "Let’s *freaking* go!"
Response to Joel Embiid Injury
The Celtics will draw attention anytime they visit South Philadelphia. However, another occurrence on Tuesday impacted the 2025-26 Sixers more than only one regular season game will. Joel Embiid sat with right knee soreness.
Nick Nurse called his All-Star center day-to-day after imaging showed no structural damage. The head coach didn’t commit to any specific timetable for a return.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesWhile Embiid’s left knee actually limited him to 19 games last season, any availability concerns about the former NBA MVP will inevitably send shockwaves through a fan base that’s endured demoralizing injury news for over a decade.
Nurse told 97.5 The Fanatic during training camp that the Sixers would need to handle the reality of Embiid’s health limitations more capably than they did during the disastrous 2024-25 season.
“Well I think that the biggest part of the plan has got to start here. We've got to, all of us, myself, staff, players, have to realize that this is a reality. This is a reality of who we are, and I don't think we can let him not being there affect us as much as maybe it has, right?”
The Sixers don’t have realistic hopes for the NBA Finals without a healthy Joel Embiid. However, an upstart backcourt led by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe has a more realistic chance to compete without Embiid for parts of the regular season with the hope he’s healthy for the stretch run.
Paul George still hasn’t made his season debut. The four-time All-Star’s presence could tighten up the Sixers on the defensive end of the floor and brighten up the prospect of competitive basketball without Embiid on the court.
“As far as the plan and style of play, yes, it'll change a little bit, but it just you know moves the pieces a little bit differently, (handle) rotations a little differently, but we need to be able to at least hold serve more in those situations.”
Glaring 3rd Quarter Problem?
The Sixers have brutally struggled in third quarters through the first 11 games of the season. Their minus-104 total out of the locker room raises questions about some sort of halftime failure.
Nick Nurse avoided any overreaction to the glaring early-season stat.
The Sixers have impressively opened the 2025-26 season with a 7-4 record. They’ve already weathered early storms without Paul George and limitations on Embiid and Jared McCain.
Statistical anomalies don’t typically last an entire season. Nurse pumped the brakes on any legitimate concerns, choosing to express confidence in his players instead of micromanaging an issue that hasn’t persisted long enough into the season to become a controversy.
Advanced Stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass and ESPN Analytics
